Bottle-cleaning machine.



N0- 79'7,7@2. PATENTED AUG. 22, 1905. L. G. SEARS.

BOTTLE CLEANING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1905.

Q SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

No. 797,782. PATENTED AUG. 22, 1905.

L. G. SEARS BOTTLE CLEANING MACHINE.- APPLIGATION FILED 11m. 12, 1905.

No- 797,782. PATENTED AUG. 22, 1905.

L. U. SEARS.

BOTTLE CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rum) JAN. 12, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNE ll 8 FFT].

LEONARD C. SEARS, OF ONAVA, ION A.

BQTTLE $LIEANHNHGR WlACl llNE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1905.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD O. S sans, a citizen of the United States,residing at Onawa, in the county of Monona and State of Iowa, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Cleaning hlachines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bottle-cleaning machines. This title isemployed simply as a convenient one, for it will be evident that as thepurpose of the invention is explained a machine involving said inventioncan be advantageously employed for cleaning other articles.

1 have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and.forming a part of this specification a simple organization of partswhich is represented as involving my invention, and I will fullydescribe the same hereinafter; but I do not limit myself to thedisclosure thus made, for certain variations may be adopted within thescope of my claims.

In Letters Patent No. 780,236, granted to me January 17, 1905, iscovered a machine for cleaning bottles. The machine embodied in thepresent case is in the nature of an improvement upon that embraced bysaid Letters Patent, and the improved features will be hereinafterparticularly described. One of them is in lifting the bottle-carriers bypower instead of by hand, as in the patented machine.

The present machine is simple in construction, compact, and comprises asfew parts as possible to secure the desired results.

As stated in the specification of the Letters Patent hereinbeforementioned, it is essential that for sanitary and other reasons theinteriors of certain kinds of bottles for example, those that are tocontain carbonated liquors, milk, or other beverages should bethoroughly scoured. The machine hereinafter described accomplishes thisresult in a thorough manner and also, like the patented machine, cleansthe exteriors of the bottles.

1n the drawings, Figure'l is a side elevation of the machine withcertain parts in section and broken away. Fig. 2 is a front elevation ofsaid machine, the water-receptacle being in section. Fig. 3 is a detailview of certain clutch-shipping mechanism and associated partshereinafter more particularly de scribed. Fig. 4 is an elevation of theupper portions of two bottle carriers, elevating means therefor, andcertain adjunctivc de vices. Fig. 5 is a side view of certain of theparts represented in the preceding figure, both of them being on anenlarged scale. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a seat for the bottom of abottle and a part of a carrier. Fig. 7 is also neck of the bottle andcertain cooperating parts, both seats being supported by and forming apart of a bottle-carrier.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the different views.

The bottle-cleaning machine represented in the drawings includes the useof a tank, vat, or other suitable receptacle, as 2, for holding water.The water-containing receptacle is illustrated as supported by aframework (denoted in a general way by 3) and which also supports theoperative parts of the apparatus. The receptacle or tank is adapted tocontain the water employed in conjunction with the shotting andscrubbing means hereinafter described for cleaning interiorly andexteriorly the bottles, which bottles during the cleaning operation arecaused to move back and forth in the water through the agency ofsuitable mechanism hereinafter described. As will be understood. thebottles are interiorly cleaned by shot which traverse the interiorsthereof. At this point I wish to state that I use the term shot in ageneric sense to include equivalent articles, for the interior cleaningagent need not necessarily be shot, as it may be steel disks or theirequivalents, which traverse the insides of the bottles at a highvelocity on the motion of the carriers to thereby thoroughly remove allobjectionable substances adhering to the interiors thereof.

Supported by suitable bearings upon the upper side of the framework 2 isa main shaft 4, which may be operated in any desirable way for example,either by hand or by power. ,1. illustrate means, however, for operating the said main shaft by power, it being shown as equipped forthis purpose at one end with a driving member, as 5, illustrated as apulley adapted to be belted to a suitable motor. (Not illustrated.) Aswill be understood, a bottle while being cleaned is interiorly shottedand exteriorly scrubbed, being supported for this purpose by a suitablecarrier, and the machine may be equipped with any desirable number ofthese carriers. In fact, one of them may be employed; but 1 prefer forobvious reasons to employ several of said carriers-for example,four-they being arranged, as will hereinafter appear, for alternateoperation-that is, two will be rocked a detail view in section of theseat for theback and forth, while the other two will be at its oppositeend against an inwardly-exelevated, so as to permit the water in theboti tending annular shoulder 21 of the said hub tles supported therebyto drain therefrom.

The carriers are each designated in a general way by 6, and as they areall of the same construction a detailed description of one will answerfor the others.

A carrier 6 involves in its make-up an elongated shank or bar 7 freelysupported for oscillation between its ends upon a shaft 8, extendingacross the machine below and to the rear of the main shaft 4. It will beunderstood that all the carriers are adapted to swing on the shaft 8.The lower end of the shank or bar 7 is connected substantially centrallyto the body or cross-bar of a yoke, as 9, the connection between thesetwo parts being of any desirable character. The upper end of said shankor bar is equipped with a balanceweight 10. The arms or branches of theyoke 9 terminate in hubs designated, respectively, by 9 and 9 The hub 9,which is at the front of the yoke when the same is immersed in thewater, receives the elongated stem 11, longitudinally adjustable andheld in adjusted relation by a set-screw 12, carried by said hub 9 andadapted to bind against the stem 11. The inner end of the stem isprovided with a seat 13 for the bottom of a bottle, said seat being ofskeleton or open-work form in order to provide for the passage of waterthrough the openings therein to reach the bottom of the bottle as thelatter is moved back and forth through the water in the receptacle 2,said stem being tubular to aid in such result.

It will be understood that the bottom of the bottle fits solidly withinthe seat 13 when held by a carrier.

The hub 9 receives for turning movement the tube 14, represented asconsisting of two sections in threaded engagement with each other, aperforated disk 15 being fitted within the two-part tube and held inplace by reason of the threaded engagement between them. The forward orinner section of the two-part tube 14 is enlarged or expanded, as at 16,and between said enlarged or expanded portion and the hub 9" the saidfront tube-section is circumferentially perforated, there being a largenumber of these perforations. Vithin theforward section of the two-parttube 14 is fitted a rubber gasket 17 of circular form, the internaldiameter of which substantially agrees with that of the forward sectionof the tube 14 and the tapered front end of which is adapted to receivethe neck of a bottle at the mouth thereof. Within the forward orshotreceiving section of the tube 14 are shot, as 18, which term, ashereinbefore indicated, is employed to cover devices other than those ofglobular form.

WVithin the hub 9 is a coiled push-spring 19, bearing at one end againstan annular circumferential shoulder 20 on the tube 14 and 9". The spring19 therefore thrusts the bottle-neck-receiving portion of the tube 14toward the bottle-bottom seat 13 in order to hold the bottle in place ina yieldable manner. It will be apparent that by pressing the enlargedhead 16 of the tube toward the hub 9 the neck of a bottle can be readilyintroduced into the flared portion of the gasket 17 or re-' movedtherefrom.

To clean a bottle, the neck thereof is inserted into the gasket 17, andthe bottom is subsequently put into the skeleton seat 13. In removingthe bottle it will be pulled out of the skeleton seat, following whichthe neck can be taken out of said gasket. It will be understood that thecarriers or hangers 6 rock to carry the bottles supported therebythrough the water in the receptacle, and this motion is a relativelyrapid one, and during the same the shot 18 from the forward section ofthe tube 14 enter the bottle and then leave the same to return to thetube, the forward end of which, as will be understood, is open. Duringthe motion of the carrier through the water such water can enter theinterior of the bottle by way of the perforations in the forward part ofthe tube 14, through said tube 14 and perforated diaphragm 15.

During the shotting of the bottle I subject the same to a turningmotion, the same being in the present case, as in the Letters Patenthereinbefore referred to, a step-by-step one, in order to effectuallyclean every part of the bottle. In addition to this I exteriorly scrubthe bottle, and by virtue of the turning motion thereof every part ofthe outside of the bottle will be effectually and thoroughly cleaned,this applying not only to the body of the bottle but to the neck andalso to any imprinted matter thereon.

XVhen two carriers are in action or being 0scillated, two other carrierswill be out of action or will occupy in the present case a horizontalposition, so that the bottles supported thereby will assume a verticaland inverted position in order to permit any water that may be thereinto flow out of said bottles, and the means for operating the carriersand for throwing them out of action and for positively elevating the twothat are out of action to permit the drainage of their bottles and thepassage of the water from the latter into the tank will be hereinafterdescribed.

As herein before set forth, 1 subject the bot tle while being shotted toturning motion, so

I as to bring every part thereof under the action of brush mechanism andso, also, as to effectually clean every part of the bottle interiorlythereof, and this turning of the bottle is in the present case securedby rotating the tube 14, which carries a seat for the bottle neck ortop, said seat being illustrated as the "rearee rubber gasket 17, whichhas a non-rotative connection with the tube, for example, by beingfitted tightly or snugly within the enlarged head of said tube.

Non-rotatively carried by the outer end of said tube leis aratchet-wheel 22, with which the lower end of a rod, as 23, cooperates,said lower end being adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel tothereby impart a stepby-step motion thereto and constituting for thispurpose, in effect, a pawl. 1 have shown a pin 14; on the tube 1 f,extending into alongitudinal slot 22 in the ratchet-wheel, so that whenthe ratchet-wheel is turned the tube will be also turned. The way inwhich .I have pinned the ratchet-wheel to the tube will permitlongitudinal movement of the latter with respect to the wheel. The rod23 is guided by suitable means on the shank 7 and yoke 9, respectively,and is given a longitudinal move ment by engaging against a li Xedabutment, as 24:. The abutment 24: moves the rod 23 in opposition to acoiled spring, as 25, connected with said rod and with the hanger- As abottle is moved back and forth through the water in the receptacle 2 itpasses between a pair of brushes, as 26, the bodies of which areconnected with upright arms, as 27, rising from the bottom of thereceptacle 2 and suitably secured thereto. Each brush device thereforecomprises a pair of brushes, between which the bottle is projected onthe motion of its carrier 6. The arms 27 are resilient, they being madeof some springy material for this purpose, so that not only do I providefor each brush device adjustability with respect to the bottle, but alsocause the bristles of the'brushes to press firmly against the outer sideof the bottle, whereby every part thereof will be cleaned, this beingparticularly advantageous where the bottles have characters blowntherein.

As a carrier oscillates, the upper end of the pawl-rod 23 carriedthereby will strike a cooperating fixed abutment 24:, so as to impart alongitudinal movement to said rod and cause the turning of theratchet-wheel 22. On the return motion of the carrier the spring 25 willreturn the said pawl-rod to its original position, so that the lower endthereof can engage behind another tooth of the ratchet. During thereturn of the pawl-rod to its original position the lower end thereofwill ride idly over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel without rotating thelatter, substantially in a manner disclosed in full in the LettersPatent hereinbefore referred to. The brushes 26 are so set that theinitial turning motion of the bottle occurs whenit enters between thesame, and as the bottle turns the bristles of the brushes will penetratethe indented portion of the neck of the bottle and around the letteringon said bottle, if there be any.

The main shaft 4; is illustrated as loosely l l l carrying two sleeves,designated. each by 27 and each carrying rigidly two eccentrics setoppositely to each other and each designated by 28. Pitmen (each denotedby 29) are adapted to transmit the motion of the eccentrics 28 to thecarriers 6, the upper branches of said carriers having pins, as 30, toenter apertures in the respective pitmen, in order to operativelyconnect the latter and the carriers. The sleeves 27 are arranged foralternate action" that is, they will be alternately thrown into workingrelation with the main shaft k-and when one sleeve is in operation twocarriers will be driven thereby through the intervention of theeccentrics 28 and pitmen 29, the latter at this time being connectedwith the pins 30 inorder to oscillate or rock two of the carriers orhangers.

To alternately operate the eccentrics 28, I illustrate a clutch device31, said clutch device being in the nature of a double one and beingfeathered on or splined to the main shaft 4, the feather or spline beingdenoted by 31,

' from which it will be understood. that when the main shaft is turnedby the pulley 5 the clutch device 31 will be also turned. When,therefore, the latter is engaged with a sleeve 27 the latter will beoperated. The adjacent faces of the two sleeves between which the clutchdevice 31 operates are provi led with teeth which are adapted toalternately mesh with teeth on the opposite faces of the clutch device.

The shifter for the clutch device is denoted by 32, and it isrepresented as consisting of a lever arranged for horizontal motion andfulcrumcd upon a suitable bearing upon the framework of the machine. Thelever near its forward end extends through a loop 33 on the framework,and the body of this loop has on its upper side the cams 3 f, which areadapt ed to elevate the lever for a reason hereinafter described, andthe pivot of the lever being for this purpose a loose one. The leverbetween its fulcrum and handle is provided with the customary fork orequivalent means to enter a peripheral channel in the clutch device 31.It will be assumed that the clutch device 31 is in engagement with thesleeve 27 on the left, so that the two pitmen 29 cooperative with saidsleeve will be given a back-and-forth motion in order to oscillate thetwo corresponding carriers 6, provided the carriers and pitmen beconnected. When the clutch member is moved from out of engagement withthe sleeve on the left and moved into engagement with the sleeve on theright, the carriers on the latter side will be operated should they beengaged with their corresponding pitmen, while the carriers on the leftwill be thrown out of action or stopped, so that they can be elevatedinto what I have described as a horizontal position to secure thedrainage of the bottles thereon. \Vhen the clutch device is in. anintermediate position, as shown in Fig. 3,neither of the sleeves 27*will be operated. I have described the eccentrics 28 as oppositely set,so that when two of them drive through the intermediate coupledconnections-two carriers-the latter will move in opposite directions.

Upon the shaft 8 are loosely carried gear devices, as 35, illustrated assegments which are adapted to mesh with cooperating gear devices 36,loosely carried by the shaft 37, located below the main shaft 4 andillustrated as driven therefroinfor example, by means ofsprocket-gearing, (denoted in a general way by 38.) The segments 35serve to elevate the carriers 6 to a horizontal position, each segmentbeing adapted to operate simultaneously through the agency of suitablemeans on two of the carriers. Each segment is indicated as having across-bar 39 connected therewith by a shank, as 40, the cross-bar andshank presenting a structure that is substan tially of T form and eachcross-bar when its cooperating segment is operated being adapted toengage two carriers to move the same from an approximately uprightposition to a horizontal position.

The pinions 36 run loose on the continuouslydriven shaft 37, but areadapted to be alternately coupled thereto by the intervention of clutchdevices, each designated by 41 and feathered on or splined to said shaft37, and consequently rotativc therewith. The feathers or splines forthese clutch devices are each designated by41. One clutch device isadapted to engage one pinion, while the other clutch device is adaptedto engage the other pinion. When, therefore, a clutch device 41 isengaged with having meshing teeth for this purpose, the said pinion willbe rotated and will serve to operate the segment 35, in the presentcase, in an upward and forward direction, so that the cross-bar 39 onsaid segment can engage two carriers to move the same from theirnormalto a horizontal position, during which motion the carriers will bedisconnected from their cooperating pitmen 29, as will hereinafter moreparticularly appear.

The clutch devices 41 have acommon shifter, which I will denote by 42,and which is illustrated as being of substantially yoke form and assuitably guided for motion laterally of the machine by the frameworkthereof. The branches of this shifter or yoke 42 have pins to enterperipheral grooves of the two clutch devices 41 to simultaneouslyoperate the same as the said shifter 42 is moved laterally of themachine. The shifter 42 is operated by the shifter or lever 32 and maybe also, as will hereinafter appear, operated independently of saidlever. For the purpose of securing the operation of the yoke-shapedshifter by the shifter-lever 32 the former has a notch,

a pinion 36, the two parts as 43, to receive the latter, and is furtherequipped with a loop, as 44, through which the lever passes to properlyguide the latter, both the notch and loop being located substantiallycentrally of the body portion of the yoke.

The side branches of the yoke or shifter l 42 have cams, as 45, adaptedto be engaged by the outermost carriers when the same are elevated ormoved to a horizontal position to effect the drainage of the bottlesthereon in order to impart a motion to said part 42 in a direction tomove simultaneously both clutch devices 41 longitudinally of theirsupportingshaft. The reason for this will hereinafter appear.

It will be assumed that two of the carriers 6 are up, or as occupying ahorizontal position, and that the other two of them are down andoccupying substantially upright positions, as indicated in Figs. 1 and2; that the shafts 4 and 37 are in operation, and that the severalclutch devices 41 are out of engagement with the cooperating pinions 36,and, further, that the clutch device 31 on the main shaft 4 is in itsintermediate position. It will be understood that as the two carriers 6on the left in Fig. 2 were elevated the outer one of them struck theadjacent cam 45 .to impart a longitudinal movement to the yoke-formedshifter 42 to thereby move it and the clutch devices 41 into theposition shown in said Fig. 2 and with both clutch devices 41 out ofengagement with the cooperating pinions. To start the two carriers 6that are down, the lever 32 will be swung toward the left in Fig. 2, soas to move the clutch with the sleeve 27 on the left, whereby the twocarriers on the left will be operated through the intermediateconnections, it being understood, of course, that the pitmen 29, whichcooperate with said carriers on the left, are in engagement with thepins 30. To stop the carriers on the left, the lever 32 will be swungtoward the right to move the clutch device 31 out of engagement with thesleeve 27 on the left, and when this is accomplished the lever will bepressed into the notch 43, so that as the lever continues to swing theyokeform shifter 42 can be moved with the lever to carry the clutchdevice 41 on the left into engagement with the cooperating pinion 36,whereby the latter will be rotated to operate the segment 35,whichmeshes therewith, and cause the elevation of the corresponding twocarriers. hen the clutch device 41 just mentioned is in engagement withthe pinion, the lever will ride against the cam 34 on the right, so asto cause the elevation of said lever out of the notch 43that is to say,the lever and yoke will be positively disconnected, so that as the leverswings to carry the clutch device 31 into engagement with the'sleeve 27on the,right the yoke will not move with the device 31 into engagementlever during the final part of the stroke of the latter. In the oppositemovement of the lever the conditions will be reversed. During theinitial part of the motion of the lever toward the right in F 1 itoperates a de vice hereinafter described for effecting the release ofthe two carriers on the right,whieh were originally upheld, so that theycan drop to carry bottles which have been applied thereto into thewater. As soon as the said two carriers on the right have dropped and assoon as the clutch device 31 engages the sleeve 27 on the right thelast-mentioned carriers will be vibrated back and forth to project thebottles therein through the water in the tank 2. The carriers 6 areprovided near their upper ends with knock-off devices, as a6,shown asplates slidable longitudinally thereon and the upper ends of which areadapted to strike the under sides of the pitmen 29 to positivelydisconnect the pitmen from the pins. Just prior to the time that across-bar 39 engages two of the segments 35 the cam-face of the shank ofsaid cross-bar will engage two l nock-off devices or sliding plates L6to impart an upward thrust to the same to disconnect the two pitmen fromthe pins on the carriers, so that the latter can be freely elevated. Itwill be understood that the two carriers on the left are elevated by theengagement of the clutch device ll on the left with the correspondingpinion 36 in the manner hereinbefore described. As said two carriers areelevated the outer one will strike against the effective face of theadjacent cam a5 and will move said cam laterally, so as to impart alongitudinal movement to the yoke 42 to carry the same in the presentcase toward the left in Fig. l, and consequently to disengage the clutchdevice 41 on said left side of the machine from the adjacent pinion.This willrelease the pinion, and hence the cooperating toothed sector35, so that the latter can drop to its original po sition.

When the two carriers are swung up, springlatches, as 47, carried uponthe yokes 9 of the carriers 6, will engage fixed pins or keepers, as4:8, on the forward side of the framework. When two of the carriers areup or assume horizontal positions, the bottles carried thereby can bedrained and when drained will be removed from the carriers and dirtybottles put in their stead. Upon the framework is a slide, as a9,operable by the handlever and serving to actuate the two pairs ofspring-latches 47 in alternation. When the lever 32 was moved toward theright to cause the elevation of the two carriers on the left in themanner hereinbefore described, said lever operated the slide 49 in acorresponding direction, so that the said slide engaged thespring-latches 47 on the right to cause the latter to be sprung oil thepins4t8,and consequently to release the two carriers 6 on the right,whereby the latter can drop.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patcut, is

1. In a machine of the class described, a rotative shaft, oscillatorycarriers having bottle and shot carrying means, connections between theshaft and the carriers for operating the carriers in alternation, thelatter being separable from said connections, and independent mechanismoperable by the shaft for elevating the carriers when not in operation.

2. in a machine of the class described, oscillatory bottle-carriers, andpower-driven mechanism for operating the carriers in alternation and forlifting a carrier not in operation.

3. In a machine of the class described, os-

cillatory bottle-carriers, power-driven mechanism for operating thecarriers in alternation and for lifting a carrier not in operation, andspring-latches on the carriers, the frame work of the machine havingkeepers for engagement by the spring-latches when the car riers arelifted.

4. In a machine of the class described, oscillatory bottle-carriers, ashaft, sleeves loose on the shaft, mechanism actuated by the sleeves foroperating the carriers and detachable from said carriers, means foralternately positively operating said sleeves, to thereby operate thecarriers in alternation, and mechanism for elevating a carrier when notin operation.

5. in a machine of the class described, oscillatory bottle-carriers, ashaft, sleeves loose on the shaft, mechanism actuated by the sleeves foroperating the carriers and detach able from said carriers, means foralternately positively operating said sleeves, to thereby operate thecarriers in alternation, and mechanism for elevating a carrier when notin operation, said mechanism being operable from said shaft.

6. In a machine of the class described, oscillatory bottle-carriers, ashaft, sleeves loose on the shaft, connections between the sleeves andthe carriers for operating the latter and detachably connected with saidcarriers, means for rotating said shaft, a clutch device splined to saidshaft and adapted to alternately clutch the sleeves thereto, whereby thecarriers will be alternately operated, and means for elevating thecarriers when not in opera tion.

7. In a machine of the class described, oscillatory bottle carriers, arotative shaft, sleeves loose on the shaft and provided with eccentrics,pitmen connected with the eccen tries and detachably connected with thecarriers, a clutch device for alternately clutehing the said sleeves tosaid shaft, to thereby tachably connected with operate the carriers inalternation, and means for lifting the carriers when not in operation.

8. In a machine of the class described, aplurality of oscillatorybottle-carriers, a rotative shaft, sleeves loose on the shaft, a clutchdevice splined to the shaft and arranged to alternately clutch saidsleeves to the shaft, eccentrics connected with the respective sleeves,pitmen operative with the eccentrics and dethe carriers, the pitmenserving to alternately operate the carriers as the said sleeves arealternately connected with said shaft, mechanism for lifting thecarriers when not in operation, and means upon each carrier when it islifted, for disconnecting the cooperating pitman there from.

9. In a machine of the class described, a ro- I tative shaft, aplurality of oscillatory bottlecarriers, means detachably connected withthe carriers and operable alternately from said shaft, a second shaft,connections between the first and second shafts for driving the latter,gear devices loose on the second shaft, gear devices meshing with theother gear devices and provided with means for elevating the carrierswhen not in operation, the first-mentioned gear devices running loose ontheir shaft, and means for clutching the first-mentioned gear devices totheir said shaft.

10. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of bottle-carriersarranged in series, a shaft, mechanism operative from said shaft foroperating the series in alternation, a second shaft operativelyconnected with the first shaft, gear devices loose on the second shaft,gear devices meshing with the other gear devices, and each having meansfor operating a series of carriers to elevate the same, and clutchdevices for clutching the first-mentioned gear devices to their shaft.

11. In a machine of the class described, a rotative shaft, oscillatorybottle-carriers, a shaft upon which said oscillatory bottle-carriers areloosely mounted, connections between the first shaft and the carriers,for operating the latter, a third shaft operatively connected with thefirst shaft, gear devices loose on the third shaft, means for clutchingthe said gear devices to their shaft, gear devices loose on the secondshaft and meshing with the first-mentioned gear devices, and meansactuated by the said second gear devices for simultaneously elevating aseries of carriers.

12. In a machine of the class described, a rotative shaft, a pair ofoscillatory bottle-carriers, mechanism actuated by said shaft foroperating said bottle-carriers, a segment, a shank connected with thesegment and provided with a cross-rod for simultaneously engaging aplurality of carriers, a second shaft provided with a pinion meshingwith said seg ment, the pinion being loose on its shaft, con- 1 nectionsbetween the two shafts, and means for clutching the pinion to its shaft,the pinion, when clutched to its shaft, serving to operate the segment,whereby said cross -rod will be moved to simultaneously elevate thecarriers.

13. In a machine of the class described, a rotative shaft, a pluralityof oscillatory bottle-carriers, mechanism including a clutch, foroperating the carriers in alternation, means for lifting the carrierswhen not in operation, said means involving intermeshing gear devices, ashaft loosely carrying one of the gear devices, and operativelyconnected with the other shaft, and shifters for the gear devices, oneof the shifters being operable by the other.

14:. In a machine of the class described, a rotative shaft, oscillatorybottle-carriers, mechanism actuated from said shaft for alternatelyoperating series of the carriers and including a clutch device, a secondshaft operable from the first-mentioned shaft, pinions loose on thesecond shaft, segments meshing with the respective pinions and providedwith means for lifting the carriers when not in operation, clutchdevices for clutching the pinions to their shaft, a yoke-form shifterfor the lastmentioned clutch devices, and a lever constituting a shifterdevices, said yoke-form clutch-device shifter being notched to receivethe lever.

.15. In a machine of the class described, a rotative shaft, oscillatorybottle-carriers, mechanism actuated from said shaft for alternatelyoperating series of the carriers and including a clutch device, a secondshaft operable from the first-mentioned shaft, pinions loose on thesecond shaft, segments meshing with the respective pinions and providedwith means for lifting the carriers when not in operation, clutchdevices for clutching the pinions to their shaft, a yoke-form shifterfor the lastmentioned clutch devices, and a lever constituting a shifterfor the first-mentioned clutch devices, said yoke-form clutch-deviceshifter being notched to receive the lever, and cams on the frameworkfor elevating the lever as the same is moved back and forth to carry itout of said notch.

16. In a machine of the class described, a rotative shaft, oscillatorybottle-carriers, mechanism actuated from said shaft for alternatelyoperating series of the carriers and including a clutch device, a secondshaft operable from the first-mentioned shaft, pinions loose on thesecond shaft, segments meshing with the respective pinions and providedwith means for lifting the carriers when not in operation, clutchdevices for clutching the pinions to their shaft, a yoke-form shifterfor the lastmentioned clutch devices, and a lever constituting a shifterfor the first-mentioned clutch for the first-mentioned clutch.

devices, said yoke-form clutch-device shifter being notched to receivethe lever, the said yoke-form shifting device having cams for operationby the carriers as they are lifted to impart a longitudinal movement tosaid y0keform shifter for moving the clutch devices operative therewith.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand 1n presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

\Vitnesses:

LEONARD (J. SEARS.

C. H. HUNTINGTON, S. B. MYERS.

